Team Auto Racing Format

ABSTRACT

A method of automotive racing wherein at least two teams of vehicles race each other to determine the winning team to create an unparalleled, action-packed experience for fans of automotive racing. Such a racing format also allows for the successful creation of a racing league that offers fans home teams and a true playoff system with a championship race.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a method of automotive racing wherein at least two teams of vehicles race each other to determine the winning team.

While automotive racing in the United States is very popular, especially NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, it is recognized that automotive racing leagues lack elements that have helped to make other sports leagues (e.g., the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL) very popular. These elements missing from automotive racing leagues are local teams that compete in a post-season playoff culminating in a final game to determine the championship team for the season.

In order to give automotive racing fans both local teams and a playoff system, the Team Racing Auto Circuit (“TRAC”) was founded in 2001. The plan was to have teams of 3 to 4 drivers representing race tracks around the country compete with other teams. Teams would accumulate points in each race based on the performance of each driver. The plan also called for regular season races, playoff races, and a championship race. TRAC even signed a contract with ESPN to televise the series. However, the racing format itself was not significantly different from NASCAR's racing format. In 2003, TRAC announced that it was folding.

In 2004, in order to give automotive racing fans something akin to a post-season playoff system, NASCAR created the ‘Chase’ which resets the points among the top 12 drivers (originally 10 drivers) for the last 10 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. In fact, on Apr. 24, 2007 NASCAR was issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,568 titled “Method of Conducting a Racing Series” (the “'568 Patent”) which relates to the ‘Chase’. Some would argue that the ‘Chase’ and the '568 Patent were a direct response to TRAC. In fact, the '568 Patent also discusses a system of awarding points to team owners.

While the ‘Chase’ has helped NASCAR to avoid a situation in which a driver with a large points lead plays it safe towards the end of the season so as not to jeopardize the large lead, the ‘Chase’ still falls short of the excitement of a true playoff system as evidenced by the fact that the NASCAR Sprint Cup series champion can still be a foregone conclusion even before the start of the final race of the season. Despite creating the ‘Chase’, in recent years NASCAR has experienced a decline in both track attendance and TV viewership.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the invention is to create an automotive racing format that offers fans of automotive racing an unparalleled, action-packed race experience. The invention does so by teaching a team auto racing format which is best described as roller derby on an automotive race track. For example, certain vehicles on a team may act as blockers for fast approaching vehicles from the opposing team while other vehicles may act to clear out the path ahead in order to keep the lead vehicle on a team relatively free from any damage. Unlike a NASCAR race in which more and more vehicles are effectively out of the race as the race progresses resulting in more and more uncontested passes, in the team auto racing format every attempted pass has implications and thus each pass is more contested. This also means there is more contact in the team auto racing format as compared with a NASCAR race especially given that interfering with the progress of faster vehicles is expected. At the same time, certain rules prevent the team auto racing format from devolving into a demolition derby such as the requirement to maintain a minimum speed. As compared with the NASCAR racing format, the team auto racing format results in more complex and varied racing strategies while placing less importance on fuel and pit strategy. In addition, the team auto racing format emphasizes driver skills over vehicle design and testing.

By creating an unparalleled, action-packed racing format based on true team auto racing, the team auto racing format also allows for the creation of a successful team auto racing series which can offer fans home teams as well as a true playoff system culminating in a championship race. Such a league can also offer drivers, team owners, and track owners a number of advantages relative to NASCAR. In general, a team auto racing league can:

-   -   Make the last race of the season always the most important race         of the season similar to most other major sports leagues;     -   Provide fans with true home teams;     -   Present fans with more opportunities to attend races;     -   Afford more drivers a chance to win a championship;     -   Give track owners more race events; and     -   Enhance the value to team owners.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In NASCAR, a significant amount of time and money is spent building and testing vehicles prior to any race. This fact gives drivers on teams with the most money an advantage over drivers on teams with fewer resources. In order to reduce the cost of building and testing vehicles as well as prevent one team from having better vehicles than another team, the team auto racing format randomly assigns vehicles from a pool of standardized vehicles to each team prior to a race. This also means that each team is assigned a limited number of vehicles to use in a race. Teams then apply their team colors, logos, and designs to the assigned vehicles. After the vehicles are assigned, only limited mechanical adjustments to the vehicles are permitted. While qualifying is not necessary given that it is already known which teams will be racing, teams do conduct one or more practice sessions with the vehicles prior to a race. As a result of the use of pools of standardized vehicles, the team auto racing format places an emphasis on driver skills in combination with team strategy as opposed to vehicle design, construction, and testing. Having said this, given that vehicle specifications will vary somewhat by track, a home team will have an inherent advantage stemming from familiarity with the specific vehicle design and setup used at its home track.

In the preferred embodiment, two teams, a home team and a visiting team, race over up to three timed race segments, and the first team to win two of the three segments wins the race. A team wins a race segment by a number of means including having a vehicle that completes the most laps by the expiration of the race segment or having a vehicle that is the first to reach a set lap threshold. In the preferred embodiment, each race segment is approximately 30 minutes in duration with breaks between each race segment. Such planned breaks in combination with stoppages for wrecks makes it more feasible to avoid running commercials during a broadcast at the same time that vehicles are racing. Also, in the preferred embodiment the racing clock is paused for events such as a wreck. Race segments of approximately 30 minutes, when combined with the appropriate size fuel tanks and proper tires based on track conditions, also eliminate the necessity to pit during a race segment. Also, re-start positions are not based on minute differences in time spent on pit road. Instead, upon race stoppage vehicles are given an allotted period of time to make a pit stop, if desired, and then assume the re-start position. Vehicles that do not exit pit road and get into re-start positions within a certain period of time face a penalty. Combining race segment duration, vehicle design, and re-start rules virtually eliminates fuel strategy as a factor in determining the outcome of a race and greatly reduces the importance of pit crew performance as compared with NASCAR racing.

In order to leverage the specific characteristics of each track to make the racing as exciting as possible, each track has the authority to set certain rules such as the specific means of winning a race segment, whether or not race segments are timed, the time for a race segment (if applicable), the number of race segments, the number of teams racing, the number of vehicles racing per team, the vehicle starting and re-starting alignments, the use or not of a pace vehicle or vehicles, the vehicle and driver substitution rules, and the minimum required speed. For example, some tracks may decide to start and re-start all of the vehicles together following a pace vehicle as is done in NASCAR, some tracks may decide to start and re-start teams in separate groups with each group following a pace vehicle, and some tracks may decide to start and re-start teams on opposite sides of the track from a stopped position. Tracks may also make the starting alignment and the re-starting alignment different. Regarding vehicle and driver substitution, some tracks may allow for substitutions at any time while other tracks may allow for substitutions only between race segments. Regarding minimum speeds, a shorter track will tend to have a lower minimum speed than a longer track. A longer track is also better suited for more teams and/or more vehicles per team. If longer tracks decide to increase the number of vehicles racing per team, drivers not officially part of a team may be brought in for such races. Thus, certain drivers may be associated with tracks, not teams. Also, when more than two teams race on a track, there is not necessarily a home team.

The team auto racing format places a focus on vehicles working together as a true team in order to win. During a race, certain vehicles on a given team may serve as blockers trying to slow the progress of vehicles from other teams while other vehicles on a given team may act to clear out the path ahead in order to keep certain vehicles on a given team relatively free from any damage. Unlike most other automotive racing formats wherein obvious blocking of faster approaching vehicles by slower vehicles is frowned upon, such blocking is expected given that every pass can be important. The lead vehicle on a given team also becomes a target of the other team and each team needs to help protect its lead vehicle from being taken out by the other team. If a lead vehicle is taken out by the other team, this results in a new lead vehicle and a potential re-shuffling of the roles on a given team. In general, the team auto racing format results in complex and varied racing strategies that apply throughout the entire race.

The team auto racing format also results in increased contact compared with other forms of automotive racing. In order to prevent a race from devolving into a demolition derby, vehicles are required to travel in the same direction around a track and maintain a minimum speed in order to qualify as a race participant. If a vehicle is not at the minimum speed, it will not receive credit for such lap. It will also be penalized for blocking or otherwise engaging other vehicles while below the minimum speed. Similar to a penalty in hockey, such a vehicle will serve a time out penalty on pit road. Likewise, a vehicle that fails to maintain a minimum speed after receiving one or more warnings must exit the given race segment. In order to monitor that a minimum speed is maintained, vehicles are outfitted with lights that indicate to the drivers when a vehicle is running above or below the minimum required speed. Given that each team has only a limited number of allotted vehicles for a race, this fact makes teams and drivers cautious about making contact with other vehicles. For example, a team may wreck so many of its vehicles in the initial stages of a race that it does not have enough vehicles for the final stages of a race putting it at a disadvantage to the other team or teams. Thus, concerns about being able to win the race with a limited number of team vehicles will serve to counteract the incentives to engage in contact.

A key component of enabling the team auto racing format is the use of vehicles that are sturdy enough to withstand a certain degree of contact during racing while also protecting drivers in the event of a significant crash. NASCAR has demonstrated that such vehicles can be built. The area of greatest vulnerability on a NASCAR vehicle is the tire. It is often wear on a tire's sidewall stemming from contact between vehicles that causes a tire to fail in turn causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle resulting in a crash. In the preferred embodiment, the vehicles used in the team auto racing format have coverings over the wheel wells that prevent tires from coming into direct contact with other vehicles or the track wall. For example, reinforced bars running across the exterior of the wheel well prevent direct tire contract with other vehicles or the track wall while also allowing material such as rubber to escape during racing so as to prevent the build-up of unwanted material that could lead to steering problems or tire failure. The fact that race segments are of such a length that the vehicles are able to run a complete race segment without necessarily needing to stop for fuel or tires helps to enable the use of wheel well coverings that protect the tires.

The team auto racing format is also possible to conduct during inclement weather events such as rain without decreasing fan enjoyment. In order to race in rain, the type of tires used can be changed and the minimum speed lowered. While the speeds are reduced, the action is not reduced. In contrast, the NASCAR racing format is apparently not flexible enough to accommodate rain.

The team auto racing format also accommodates the possibility of fans riding along during races or even fans driving a vehicle (upon meeting certain driving ability thresholds). In the case of a fan ride-a-long during a race segment, if both teams have the same number of fan ride-a-longs neither team is necessarily disadvantaged. Likewise, if each team has a substitute fan driver, neither team is necessarily disadvantaged. Of course, such possibilities are contingent upon fan willingness to assume the risks assumed by professional drivers. 

I claim:
 1. A method of conducting an automotive race wherein: (a) at least two teams compete against each other, (b) each team contains a plurality of vehicles and drivers, (c) vehicles travel in the same direction around a track, (d) each vehicle must maintain a minimum speed in order to qualify as a race participant, (e) vehicles are permitted to impede the progress of other vehicles, (f) contact among vehicles is allowed, (g) there is a least one race segment, (h) a team wins a race by winning the most race segments, and (i) a team wins a race segment by a number of means including having a vehicle that is the first to reach a set lap threshold or having a vehicle that completes the most laps by the expiration of a race segment.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein a race segment is timed.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein certain rules vary by track including the specific means of winning a race segment, whether or not race segments are timed, the time for a race segment (if applicable), the number of race segments, the number of teams racing, the number of vehicles racing per team, the vehicle starting and re-starting alignments, the use or not of a pace vehicle or vehicles, the vehicle and driver substitution rules, and the minimum required speed.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein a limited number of vehicles are randomly assigned to teams from a pool of standardized vehicles for use in a race.
 5. The method of claim 3 wherein only limited adjustments to allotted vehicles are permitted.
 6. The method of claim 3 wherein the standardized vehicles and setups used vary by track.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein vehicles are equipped with lights and sensors to indicate when a vehicle qualifies as a race participant.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein vehicles are fabricated to shield tires from direct contact with other vehicles or the track wall.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the combination of race segment length, vehicle fuel tank size, and vehicle tires enable the completion of a race segment without needing to make a pit stop.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein a vehicle can be substituted for another vehicle during a race.
 11. The method of claim 1 wherein a driver can be substituted for another driver during a race.
 12. The method of claim 1 wherein a race segment starts and re-starts in a number of different formations including vehicles starting from a stopped position, vehicles starting behind one or more pace vehicles, vehicles starting in a single group, or vehicles starting in separate groups.
 13. The method of claim 1 wherein the formation for starting a race segment differs from the formation for re-starting a race segment.
 14. The method of claim 1 wherein the clock for a race segment is paused for any race interruption such as due to a wreck.
 15. The method of claim 1 wherein upon race interruption vehicles are given a set period of time to make a pit stop and then assume the re-start position.
 16. The method of claim 1 wherein a vehicle running below the minimum speed is penalized for impeding or otherwise engaging other vehicles.
 17. The method of claim 1 wherein a vehicle must exit a race segment for failing to maintain the minimum speed.
 18. The method of claim 1 wherein races are run in the rain through the use of rain tires and reduced minimum speeds.
 19. The method of claim 1 wherein certain drivers are associated with tracks, not teams.
 20. The method of claim 1 wherein fans are permitted to ride along or serve as substitute drivers. 